newell



(No Model.) a Sheei7s-$heet 1.

P. NEWELL. RAILROAD SWITCH AND MEANS FOR OPERATING SAME- No. 560,743.

Patented May 26, I896.

ANDREW B GRAHAM, PHOTO-UTHO.WASHINGTON. D C.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

F. N BWELL. RAILROAD SWITCH AND MEANS FOR OPERATING SAME.

No. 560,743. Patented May 26, 1896.

IEEEH ANDREW BVGRAMAM. PHOTO-UTHQWASNNGTON. II C,

(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 3.

F. NEWELL. M RAILROAD SWITGHAND MEANS ,FOR OPERATING SAME. No. 560,743. Patented May 26, 1896.

AN ORKW B.GRAI1AM, PHOTO-UT)! WASHINGTOILDI NITED STATES LATENT nrich.

FRANK NETVELL, OF NET/V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH TO GILMAN S. STANTON, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILROAD-SWITCH AND MEANS FOR OPERATING SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,743, dated May 26, 1896.

Application filed August 30, 1895. Serial No. 561,037- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK NEWELL, a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad- Switches and Means for Operating the Same; and I do hereby declare the following. to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make an d use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in railroad-switch es and means for operating the same, the object of the invention being to provide simple and efficient means adapted to be operated from the car for properly operating the switches of a railroad.

A further object is to produce appliances adaptable to a cable or underground electric railroad, whereby the rail-switches and the slot-switches can be simultaneously operated by the niotorman on the car from his position on the latter.

A further object is to produce switch apparatus which shall be applicable for use on any railroad, regardless of the kind of cars employed and the motive power used, and which shall be simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, easy of application, and effectual in all respects in the performance of its functions.

\Vith these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are plan views of a railroad, showing my improvements applied to the switches. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are views showing the operating mechanism on the car. Figs. 6, 7 8, and 9 are detail views. Fig. 10 is a view of a modification.

A A represent the rails of one track and B B the rails of another track, adapted to communicate with or branch from the rails A A. A switch rail or tongue O is located at the juncture of the rails A B, and is pivotally supported by means of a vertical shaft 1, to the lower end of which shaft a crank arm 2 is secured, for a purpose presently eX- plained. Between the rails AA two togglelevers 3 4: are disposed, the outer ends of the arms of each of said levers being loosely connected with the road-bed, and to said togglelevers at points where the arms thereof are pivotally connected together depending rods 5 6 are respectively connected.

The rods 5 depend into a suitable excavation in the road-bed, and at their lower ends are pivotally connected with crank-arms 7 8, respectively, said crank-arms projecting in opposite directions from a transverse shaft 9. The shaft 9 is also provided with a crank-arm 10, which projects in a direction at right angles to the crank-arms 7 8, and at the free end of said crank-arm 10 one end of a rod or pitman 11 is pivotally connected, the other end of said rod or pitman being pivotally connected with the crank-arm 2 at the lower end of the shaft 1 of the pivoted switch-rail. Flat rails or approaches 12 are made to communicate with the respective ends of the toggle-levers for the accommodation of wheels 13, carried by the car, said wheels being so constructed and arranged (as presently described in detail) that one can be'made to engage one of the toggle-levers to cause the switch to be thrown for one track and the other wheel made to engage the other togglelever to throw the switch so the car will run on the other track. It will be seen that when one of the toggle-levers is depressed motion will be transmitted through the rod 5 to the shaft 9 and from said shaft to the vertical shaft 1, which carries the pivoted switch-rail, and thus cause the latter to be thrown in one direction or the other, according to the toggle-lever which shall have been depressed.

A block 1A is secured to and depends from the car-bottom 15 and is made with a socket or recess 16 for the reception of a pin 17 loosely disposed therein. The pin 17 projects below the block 14:, and to its lower end a bar 18 is pivotally connected centrally between its ends. A spring 19 encircles the pin 17 and bears at its upper end against the block 14, the lower end of said spring being secured to the pin. The respective ends of the bar 18 terminate between pairs of brackets 20, secured to the carbottom, Between each pair of brackets one of the wheels 13 is located and the journals of said wheels are mounted in journal-boxes 21, adapted to move vertically in slots 22 in the brackets. To each pair of journal-boxes a yoke 23 is attached, and to the upper end of each yoke a link 24 is pivoted. The links are pivotally connected to the respective ends of the bar 18.

A series of pulleys 25 (preferably four) are attached to the car-bottom for the accommodation of a rope 26. The rope 26 is attached to the cross-bar or lever 18 near one end, then run over one of the pulleys, then passed around a drum 27 at one end of the car, then back over another pulley and attached to the cross-bar or lever 18 near its other end, and then passed to and around another drum 27 at the other end of the car and then back to the starting-point 011 the cross-bar or lever 18.

At each end of the car, preferably in close proximity to the dashboards, vertical shafts 28 28 are located and provided at their lower ends with the drums 27, on which the rope 2G is wound, as above explained. From the construction and arrangement of parts it will be seen that when one of the drums 27 is turned in one direction one of the wheels 13 will be lowered so as to engage one of the toggle-1evers and cause the switch to be thrown in one direction and at the same time the other wheel will be raised. By turning the drum in the reverse direction the position of the wheels 13 will be reversed, so as to operate the other toggle-lever and cause the switch to be thrown in the opposite direction.

In order to provide simple and efficient means for operating the drum 27 the devices now to be described will be employed.

The upper end of each drum-shaft is provided with a head 28, having an elongated recess 29 for the reception of one end of aremovable lever 30. The lever 30 is made with a hook 31, adapted to engage a pin 32, extending across the elongated slot or recess 29, and on this pin the lever normally hangs, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. The forward end of the lever 30 is beveled, as at 33, and the corner 34 at the lower end of said beveled portion 33 is preferably rounded. hen the lever 30 is in its operative or horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 7, the beveled end 33 of the lever will be disposed practically parallel with the beveled rear wall 35 of the recess 29 of the head 28 By thus connecting the lever with the head on the drum-shaft it can be readily removed and replaced, so that but one lever will be necessary to operate the drum-shafts at both ends of the car. It will be seen that when the lever is being raised from its hanging position to a horizontal po sition the engagement of the inclined or beveled face 33 35 will cause the pin 32 to become firmly set against the seat 36 of the hook 31, and that the lever will be limited in its upward movement so that it cannot be raised higher than is sufficient to dispose it in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 6.

The lever 30 is made with a recess between spring 38.

its ends, in which a locking-dog 37 is pivotally supported and made to project beyond the edge of the lever by means of a flat A red 39 is connected at one end to the rear end of the locking-dog 37, and at the other end to a fin ger-bar 40, pivotally connected to the lever 30 in close proximity to the handle 41 thereof. When the lever 30 is moved laterally in one direction or the other to turn the drum-shaft for the purpose above explained, the locking-dog will engage a keeper 42, secured to the dashboard of the car, there being of course two of such keepers on each dashboard. Each keeper 42 is made with an inclined face 43, over which the locking-dog passes, and in rear of said face the keeper is made with a recess 44, into which the locking-dog enters, the lever itself resting 011 the fiat face 45 of the keeper, and is in this manner retained in a horizontal position, so that the motorman will be at liberty to divert his attention therefrom until the switch shall have been passed. When the switch shall have been passed, the motorman will grasp the lever 30, press the finger-bar 40, so as to release the locking-dog from the keeper, and then move the lever to a position at right angles to the dashboard, so as to turn the drum shaft and bring the wheels 13 into their normal positions. The motorman can then release the operating-lever 30 and allow it to drop and hang suspended on the pin My improvements, as above described, are applicable for use on various kinds of railroads, and particularly street-railroads regardless of the motive power of the same. In order to render my improvements more useful in connection with cable roads or electric underground roads, I preferto cause the slotswitch to be operated simultaneously with the operation of the rail-switch. This is readily accomplished by connecting the pivoted slot rail or tongue 46 with a vertical crank-shaft 47 and connecting the crank-arm 48 of said shaft with a crank-arm 49 on the transverse shaft by means of a connecting-rod 49.

In cases where the cable-grip or the electric contact-brush do not interfere, the pivot-pin or vertical shaft 47 will be made of sufficient length to reach below the level of the conduit, the crank-arm 49 being secured to its lower end. WVhen the slot rail or tongue is very long and its movement is slight, it will be advisable to interpose a pivoted lever 50 and a connecting-link 51 between the crank-arm 49 and the connecting-rod 49, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, so as to reduce the motion of the slot-tongue and by the gain of leverage add to the force of the action of the parts.

WVhen the grip or electric contact-brush is so large as not to permit the pivot-pin or vertieal shaft 47 to extend below the conduit, a yoke 52, Fig. 2, will be secured to the pivotpin or vertical shaft 47 close to the surface so as not to be in the way. Beds 53 53 are connected to the respective ends of the yoke 52, and at their other ends are attached to a similar yoke 54, located at a point sufficiently far off for its pivot-pin or vertical shaft 55 to avoid the grip. From the lower end of the pivot-pin or vertical shaft 55 a crank-arm 56 projects. A pivoted lever 57 and a link 58 are disposed between the crank-arm 56-and the connecting-rod 49*.

All the pivotal connections should be made with thread-and-nut couplings so as to permit accurate adjustment.

WVhen my improvements are applied to a steam-railroadhavin g a switch employing two switch-tongues 59 59, Fig. 10, the two pivoted switch-rails will be connected together by means of a rod 60, and a bell-crank lever 61 disposed between said rod and the rod or pitman 11, one arm of said bell-crank lever being pivotally connected with the pitman and the other arm being loosely connected with the connecting-rod 60.

Numerous changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof orlimiting its scope, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railroad-switch mechanism, the combination of a pivotally-supported bar having a yielding connection with the car, wheels on said bar and means on the car for turning said bar on its fulcrum whereby to cause one or the other of the switch-wheels to engage said operating devices and throw the switchrail in one direction or the other, substantially as set forth.

.2. In a railroad-switch mechanism, the combination of a pivoted bar connected with the car, wheels carried by said bar, drums mounted on the ends of the car, and cords or chains connected at their respective ends to said drums and at points between their ends to said pivoted bar at opposite sides of its fulcrum, substantially as set forth.

3. In arailroad-switch mechanism, the combination of a bar pivotally connected with the car, wheels on said bar adapted to be made to engage switch operating mechanism, drums on the ends of the car, cords or chains wound on said drums, and connected to said pivoted bar at opposite sides of its fulcrum, and pulleys on the car-bottom for guiding said cords or chains, substantially as set forth.

4. In a railroad-switch mechanism, the combination of a bar pivoted to the car and carrying rollers adapted to be made to engage switch-operating mechanism when the bar is turned on its fulcrum, shafts mounted on the car, drums carried by said shafts, cords or chains wound on said drums and connected between their ends with said pivoted bar at opposite sides of the fulcrum thereof, slotted heads on said shafts, a pin passing through the slot in each head, and a removable lever adapted to enter said slot and engage said pin, whereby to turn the drum-shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. In a railroad-switch mechanism, the combination of a pivoted bar on the car, wheels at the ends of said bar, vertical shafts at the ends of'the car, drums on said shafts, cords or chains wound on said drums and connected at points between their ends with the pivoted bar at opposite sides of the fulcrum, a head on each vertical shaft having a recess said recess having a beveled end wall, a pin passing through said recess, an operating-lever having a beveled end to enter said recess and engage said beveled wall, and a hook on said lever to engage said pin in the recessed head, substantially as set forth.

6. In arailroad-switch mechanism, the com bination of a pivoted bar connected with the car, Wheels at the ends of said bar to engage switch-operating mechanism, a vertical shaft on the car, a drum on the vertical shaft, cords or chains connected with said drum and the pivoted bar at opposite sides of its fulcrum, a head on said vertical shaft having a recess, a pin passing through said recess, an operating-lever having a hook to engage said pin, a spring-actuated dog carried by said lever, means for manually operating said dog, and a keeper for said dog secured to the car, said keeper being also adapted to support the lever in a horizontal position when said lever is disposed parallel with the end of the car, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination with a railroad employing a conduit and a slot switch or tongue, of toggle-levers adapted to be operated from a car, a crank-shaft connected with said togglelevers, a pivot-pin secured to the slot switch or tongue, a yoke or cross-bar secured to said pivot-pin, a pivoted yoke or cross-bar, rods connecting said yokes or cross-bars, a crankarm on said pivoted yoke or cross-bar, a pivoted lever having one end connected with said crank-arm and a rod connecting the pivoted lever with said crank-shaft, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK NEWEL'L. Witnesses:

GEORGE TURNER, J OHN GARRISON. 

